Twenty four companies increased their dividends over the past week. Compared to 15 stocks from the previous week, it’s a small improvement but not the big numbers of 50 or more. The average dividend growth amounts to 32.07 percent.

Several recent dividend growth stocks have a market capitalization over $10 billion. Those are big names like McDonald’s and Microsoft. The technology and software giant also announced to buy back $40 billion in its own shares. That’s around 14 percent of the current market value.

I’ve attached a list for you of all of the dividend growers from the past week. You can also find there a list of the current valuations of the stocks. Half of the results still have a low forward P/E below 15 and eleven received a buy or better rating by brokerage firms.

Here are the large cap dividend growers with buy ratings:

McDonald's (MCD) has a market capitalization of $96.87 billion. The company employs 440,000 people, generates revenue of $27,567.00 million and has a net income of $5,464.80 million. McDonald's’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $9,865.80 million. The EBITDA margin is 35.79 percent (the operating margin is 31.21 percent and the net profit margin 19.82 percent).

Financial Analysis: The total debt represents 38.52 percent of McDonald's’s assets and the total debt in relation to the equity amounts to 89.14 percent. Due to the financial situation, a return on equity of 36.82 percent was realized by McDonald's. Twelve trailing months earnings per share reached a value of $5.46. Last fiscal year, McDonald's paid $2.87 in the form of dividends to shareholders. MCD increased dividends by 5.2 percent.

Market Valuation: Here are the price ratios of the company: The P/E ratio is 17.76, the P/S ratio is 3.51 and the P/B ratio is finally 6.35. The dividend yield amounts to 3.34 percent and the beta ratio has a value of 0.38.

Host Hotels and Resorts (HST) has a market capitalization of $13.67 billion. The company employs 233 people, generates revenue of $5,286.00 million and has a net income of $13.00 million. Host Hotels and Resorts’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $1,180.00 million. The EBITDA margin is 22.32 percent (the operating margin is 7.25 percent and the net profit margin 0.25 percent).

Financial Analysis: The total debt represents 41.64 percent of Host Hotels and Resorts’s assets and the total debt in relation to the equity amounts to 79.28 percent. Due to the financial situation, a return on equity of 0.16 percent was realized by Host Hotels and Resorts. Twelve trailing months earnings per share reached a value of $0.19. Last fiscal year, Host Hotels and Resorts paid $0.30 in the form of dividends to shareholders. HST increased dividends by 9.1 percent.

Market Valuation: Here are the price ratios of the company: The P/E ratio is 97.22, the P/S ratio is 2.59 and the P/B ratio is finally 1.93. The dividend yield amounts to 2.63 percent and the beta ratio has a value of 2.38.

U.S. Bancorp (USB) has a market capitalization of $69.62 billion. The company employs 64,486 people, generates revenue of $12,883.00 million and has a net income of $5,490.00 million. U.S. Bancorp’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $9,734.00 million. The EBITDA margin is 75.56 percent (the operating margin is 38.51 percent and the net profit margin 27.36 percent).

Financial Analysis: The total debt represents 14.64 percent of U.S. Bancorp’s assets and the total debt in relation to the equity amounts to 132.87 percent. Due to the financial situation, a return on equity of 16.41 percent was realized by U.S. Bancorp. Twelve trailing months earnings per share reached a value of $2.94. Last fiscal year, U.S. Bancorp paid $0.78 in the form of dividends to shareholders. USB increased dividends for its prefered shares A by 1.1 percent.

Market Valuation: Here are the price ratios of the company: The P/E ratio is 12.86, the P/S ratio is 3.47 and the P/B ratio is finally 2.07. The dividend yield amounts to 2.43 percent and the beta ratio has a value of 1.13.

Yum! Brands (YUM) has a market capitalization of $32.17 billion. The company employs 78,450 people, generates revenue of $13,633.00 million and has a net income of $1,608.00 million. Yum! Brands’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $2,932.00 million. The EBITDA margin is 21.51 percent (the operating margin is 16.83 percent and the net profit margin 11.79 percent).

Financial Analysis: The total debt represents 32.65 percent of Yum! Brands’s assets and the total debt in relation to the equity amounts to 136.58 percent. Due to the financial situation, a return on equity of 80.31 percent was realized by Yum! Brands. Twelve trailing months earnings per share reached a value of $3.05. Last fiscal year, Yum! Brands paid $1.24 in the form of dividends to shareholders. YUM increased dividends by 10.4 percent.

Market Valuation: Here are the price ratios of the company: The P/E ratio is 23.61, the P/S ratio is 2.36 and the P/B ratio is finally 15.09. The dividend yield amounts to 2.05 percent and the beta ratio has a value of 0.78.

Covidien (COV) has a market capitalization of $29.00 billion. The company employs 43,400 people, generates revenue of $11,852.00 million and has a net income of $1,902.00 million. Covidien’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $3,289.00 million. The EBITDA margin is 27.75 percent (the operating margin is 20.34 percent and the net profit margin 16.05 percent).

Financial Analysis: The total debt represents 22.64 percent of Covidien’s assets and the total debt in relation to the equity amounts to 47.70 percent. Due to the financial situation, a return on equity of 18.66 percent was realized by Covidien. Twelve trailing months earnings per share reached a value of $3.59. Last fiscal year, Covidien paid $0.94 in the form of dividends to shareholders. COV increased dividends by 23.1 percent.

Market Valuation: Here are the price ratios of the company: The P/E ratio is 17.58, the P/S ratio is 2.45 and the P/B ratio is finally 2.82. The dividend yield amounts to 2.03 percent and the beta ratio has a value of 0.95.

Kroger (KR) has a market capitalization of $21.03 billion. The company employs 343,000 people, generates revenue of $96,751.00 million and has a net income of $1,508.00 million. Kroger’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $4,416.00 million. The EBITDA margin is 4.56 percent (the operating margin is 2.86 percent and the net profit margin 1.56 percent).

Financial Analysis: The total debt represents 36.02 percent of Kroger’s assets and the total debt in relation to the equity amounts to 211.05 percent. Due to the financial situation, a return on equity of 36.27 percent was realized by Kroger. Twelve trailing months earnings per share reached a value of $3.01. Last fiscal year, Kroger paid $0.53 in the form of dividends to shareholders. KR increased dividends by 10 percent.

Market Valuation: Here are the price ratios of the company: The P/E ratio is 13.55, the P/S ratio is 0.22 and the P/B ratio is finally 4.98. The dividend yield amounts to 1.62 percent and the beta ratio has a value of 0.50.

Take a closer look at the full table of stocks with recent dividend hikes. The average dividend growth amounts to 32.07 percent and the average dividend yield amounts to 3.51 percent. Stocks from the sheet are valuated with a P/E ratio of 22.14. The average P/S ratio is 4.51 and P/B 3.03.

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